In New York, they are loud. In Sweden, her studies were very specialized. At New York University, she created a major that covers a broad swath of disciplines.

Hansson, born in 1985, is pursuing an interdisciplinary major at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University. Her major comprises a mix of psychology, sociology and communication studies and she expects to complete her bachelor in arts degree in May 2009.

“Gallatin allows students to design their majors themselves,” she said. “It has been fascinating, so different from Swedish education where college studies are extremely specialized – here it is important to be broad. To develop your imagination and well-roundedness is important in the States because that is what makes you stand out and what makes you unique on the job market.”

 

While she loves the few opportunities she has had to visit her hometown, saying it’s “absolutely wonderful to come back to when I need a break,” she loves the vibrance of life in New York, another island but one quite different from her home island in Sweden. She enjoys trying out the many varied and ethnic restaurants, going to movie theaters and exploring the city.

“I love both cities very much,” she said. “When I need some fresh air I go out to the Hamptons, a beach resort on Long Island, near New York City.”

Hansson admits that the loudness of the city and the people have taken some effort to get accustomed.

“People are so LOUD!” she said. “They don’t know it. But they are compared to Swedish people.”
But, Hansson has found different ways to relieve stress. She has taken up African dance, she focuses her energy on her upcoming graduation day and keeps busy with different internships, which help build her career. Her most recent internship was as a digital media planner at a company called MediaCom. When she gets homesick, she finds that the cookies and sweets section at IKEA soothe her.

“A little bit of Swedish food culture is exactly what I need sometimes when I miss home,” she said.

 

Hansson said she struggled a bit in getting to New York. Her parents were “upset and confused” about her decision to study in New York in her first study abroad experience. Though she had spent a year studying in Sweden, the decision to move to the United States seemed more challenging. Still, she really wanted the opportunity and challenge of being responsible for her own studies “not as in Sweden where you have to stick to a program of study. This (degree) challenged me to do my own thing which requires a lot of discipline and motivation.” Her decision, however, cost her financially.”

“I have to pay for it myself because my parents would never have allowed me to go though with this if they’d had to pay,” she said. “And I’m glad I decided to do that, because now they see how much I’ve grown because of this experience and how great NYU is as a school.”